


Reporting For Duty

by rinnwrites



Series: Stories from the Stark Administration [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Son Tony Stark, M/M, Pre-Slash, Secret Service Agent Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 08:16:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14950991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinnwrites/pseuds/rinnwrites
Summary: Bucky Barnes has been working towards this his entire life and the moment has arrived, his Executive Protection assignment.orCodename Heartbreaker, from Bucky's POV.





	Reporting For Duty

This was a big day. The biggest day of Bucky’s life, maybe. He’d barely slept last night with the anticipation of what Election Day would bring. It was one thing to the country, the selection of a new leader, exercising of the democratic process, and a lot of other bullshit that Steve would ramble on about….but for Bucky, it was something else.

This election day was the one where he’d finally  _ made it.  _ Executive protection. 

Bucky’d applied for the Secret Service as early as he was eligible. After a short stint in the Army, he’d known he wanted to serve, but in a different way. He’d impressed his superiors through months of training, then a few years in the New York field office and he’d been fast tracked, because he was  _ good.  _

Modesty aside, Bucky knew he was good at this job. He was smart, and strong, his instincts were sharp, and his combat skills were unparalleled among his peers. This promotion hadn’t come easy, but it wasn’t a total surprise, either. 

That didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. 

Competence and confidence aside, Bucky was going to be assigned to manage protective security for a member of the incoming first family. It was a huge responsibility, the stakes were high, and while he’d been protecting the American people for his entire career, this was where things became personal. There would be a single, specific life in his hands, and a high-profile one, at that. 

As the youngest special agent assigned to this duty, he’d known from the moment they’d tapped him that he’d be responsible for one of the children. Both candidates had them, one a daughter, the other a son, and Bucky hadn’t really identified a preference, though he’d done cursory research on both. It was expected, if not required of him in this job.

But now was the time, the moment was finally here, and he finally  _ knew.  _

Anthony Edward Stark.

That was the soul that his thoughts would revolve around for the next four years of his life, at the very least. He had his charge, and he’d been anxiously waiting to get started since the confirmation of Stark’s victory had come in. 

He realized, upon hearing the news that...maybe he had preferred one family over the other, even though neither actual candidate appealed to him, there was something so intriguing about the young genius.

At fourteen, the boy had graduated early from high school and headed on to college, and now, a seventeen-year-old engineering prodigy, he held a bachelor’s degree and was finishing up  a masters, even in the midst of his father’s presidential campaign.

So Bucky had been impressed by him. It was hard not to be, and any interest he held in the kid was good, because now that the election was over, he’d have to learn every little detail, starting with a briefing alongside the rest of the special agents newly assigned to executive protection.

The first was Steve, who’d been Bucky’s colleague and a little bit of a mentor at the New York field office. He shared the most exclusive of missions with Sam, who’d been protective service for a foreign diplomat until his transfer here. The two of them were assigned to the nation’s next president, Howard Stark, and Bucky watched as they were briefed by director Fury, each looking stoic and serious as they nodded along. The president-elect’s picture graced the screen in front of them with the words ‘ _ Howard Stark, codename: Harbinger _ ’, and he looked like just that, though a harbinger of just what, Bucky couldn’t say. It made him uneasy, but the agents looked excited, a president was a president, after all.

It was the height of the top postings for a Secret Service Agent, and Bucky was happy for them - he knew that Steve, especially, deserved this. The man had been working for this country his entire life, and this was the cherry on top of his career. He’d do their country proud, surely. 

Looking reassuringly confident, Steve and Sam sat down, leaving the next pair of agents to stand for their briefing, as the screen in front of the room changed and the First Lady-to-be smiled at them, text below her picture declaring her ‘ _ Maria Stark, codename: Hummingbird _ ’. Fury rattled off the fast facts about the woman as Natasha nodded, and Clint grinned, the only one in the room to belie how excited he was about this. The two of them had been partners before, stationed here in the D.C. office for their field work. Apparently they made a great team, rumors of how they worked like a single-brained person had reached Bucky, even in New York. 

Finally, the two sat down and Bucky stood, proud that he was calm, his heartbeat remained even, his palms were dry, his hands steady. And then the screen changed again, ‘ _ Anthony Stark, codename: Heartbreaker’ _ . Bucky swallowed thickly, it was recent photo, one he’d seen before that managed to catch the teen with some actual joy on his face. Brown eyes bright and excited and that codename…..Bucky’s heart certainly didn’t twist a bit at that. Could he spend the next four years calling this sweet-faced teen such an apropos name? He supposed he would see.

Fury rattled off details, most that he already knew, and a few that would be reiterated in the dossier he’d been handed at the meeting’s onset. He nodded along, mentally bracing himself for the moment they were released to go find their charges, the beginning of the next chapter of their lives, protecting this family.

Bucky was thrumming with excitement by the time they were dismissed, and made his way immediately to the ballroom where a crowd celebrated the win in the polls today. Blue eyes scanned the crowd for the mop of brown hair that would soon become Bucky’s most familiar sight, and he didn’t see it anywhere. 

“He’s upstairs.”

Bucky turned at the voice close by his side to see a tall brunette woman with an earpiece and a clipboard. She clearly meant business, but he raised an eyebrow at her anyway, “Sorry?”

“Tony. He’s in the Stark’s suite, waiting to meet you.”

Her clarification was met with silence, and she rolled her eyes, “I’m Peggy Carter, Howard Stark’s chief of staff. You are James Barnes, Tony’s new security detail? He’s half asleep on his feet, I sent him upstairs to wait.” her words were patient, despite the annoyance in her face and after a searching look in her eyes, Bucky nodded. 

“Thanks.”

“You’re most welcome.” the woman nodded and started to walk off into the crowd before halting to turn back to him, giving him a critical once-over. “Barnes….you better protect that boy. He’s going to need it.”

There was a dark certainty in those words, and Bucky didn’t want to wonder about what it meant, but he nodded, only allowing himself to wipe clammy hands on his slacks after Peggy had disappeared into the crowd. 

A note pinned to the first page of his dossier listed the Starks’ suite number for the evening, so Bucky didn’t hesitate to jog up the nearby stairwell, hearing Steve’s voice in his ear as he did. “Harbinger is secure.”

Bucky’s heart swelled in happiness for Steve, as he continued looking for his charge, only just catching the “Hummingbird is secure” from Natasha when he pushed his way into a crowded hotel suite, glancing around until he finally caught sight of that head of brown hair.

Tony Stark had fallen asleep sitting up on the sofa, his fancy suit rumpled, those brown eyes hidden from the world. Bucky didn’t want to disturb him, knowing he needed rest, but his orders were to make contact and then confirm his charge’s security. 

“Mr. Stark,” he said quietly, hoping not to startle the teen, even if he had to wake him. 

Those eyes fluttered open and landed on Bucky, who did everything in his power to keep from beaming just at being the subject of that sleepy stare. 

“I’m James Barnes, I’ll be responsible for your security for the foreseeable future.” he explained, keeping his voice soft, still hoping not to hassle Tony any more than necessary, he seemed too peaceful to unsettle.

Tony’s eyes trailed over him, tracing a clear path across his face, then down his body, over his well-fitted suit, lingering on Bucky’s metal hand, then and back up to his eyes, which were treated to a delightful pink flush on Tony’s neck and ears as the pair locked eyes for a moment. 

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise” Bucky nodded, hoping the action didn’t betray the way he swallowed nervously before lifting his hand to press the button on his ear-piece, “Heartbreaker is secure.” he checked in, hearing an “ _ affirmative. _ ” from whoever was monitoring their comms at the moment. 

But Bucky was much more focused on Tony, who’d managed to spread that pretty pink blush up to his cheeks this time, “H-heartbreaker?”

It wasn’t professional, but Bucky couldn’t help his grin, “Codename, you’ll get used to it.” he did his best not to laugh and mostly succeeded.

It was going to be an  _ interesting _ four years.

**Author's Note:**

> Stories from the Stark Administration will continue. I've got a few ideas for snapshots over the course of Howard's term, but not necessarily anything long or chaptered, at this point, so keep an eye out for further one-shots in this verse.


End file.
